The Best Laptop 202: Top Portable Picks For All Budgets
The best laptops from Dell, Apple, Razer and more
As we approach the end of 2022, we now have a good idea of what the best laptops were of this year. It’s unlikely that any new laptops will launch â most manufacturers are holding fire until CES 2023, which starts in January. This huge tech show in Las Vegas will likely show off the next generation of powerful laptops, and we also know Nvidia, Intel and AMD will be there, and could show off their visions for mobile computing.
But that doesn’t mean you should hold off buying a laptop until then. Because December is prime Holiday gifting season, we’re seeing some great price cuts for laptops, including many on this list.
To help you pick the best laptop for your needs, we’ve gathered some excellent choices below, and with our built-in price comparison tool, we’ll show you the top deals across the internet.
– Matt Hanson, Managing Editor, Core Tech
If you’re looking to buy the best laptop money can buy in 2022, then now is an ideal time. We’ve listed below the best laptops for a variety of budgets and use cases, and every laptop has been thoroughly tested and reviewed by us, so you can be sure that if you buy any of the laptops below, you’ll be getting an absolutely fantastic device.
What Are The Best Laptop Brands
The best brands for laptops include Apple, Dell, Lenovo and HP, and they all have their strengths. For example, Apple make brilliantly-designed slim and light laptops, while Dell does a great range of high-end ultrabooks, as well as affordable devices and Chromebooks as well. Lenovo’s well known for making solidly-built business laptops , and HPâs also been making some gorgeous laptops recently that are some of the best laptops in the world.
When it comes to gaming, the best laptop brands include Alienware, Asus and Acer.
Best Overall: Dell Xps 13 9310
If the intended user is looking for a Windows laptop whether because they are already familiar with the operating system or want something more flexible there are plenty of excellent laptop options out there. Apple isnt the only company that has refined its designs to near perfection, as evidenced by Dells XPS 13 series. The XPS line consistently makes best of lists year over year, and for good reason. The XPS 13 is light, attractive, and has powerful specs to push it to the limit.
The XPS 13 9310 comes with the latest 11th-generation Tiger Lake Intel processors, so users will get ample performance no matter what configuration they choose. The base model has a 13.4-inch FHD+ anti-glare display that goes up to 500 nits. That makes for a crisp and very bright image, but you can bump that up to 4K for an even better image if you want just make sure to set the scaling so that everything remains legible.
The XPS 13 9310 has a lot and lacks very little. Thats why its consistently the go-to laptop for Windows users. That is still the case for older generations.
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What Kind Of Laptop Should You Get As A Realtor
Real estate agents often have a lot of different tasks and responsibilities that they need to handle daily. These tasks range from managing listings and communicating with clients to researching and marketing properties. To handle all of these tasks efficiently and effectively, real estate agents need a laptop that meets their needs and is well-suited for their work.
Some key factors to consider when choosing a laptop for real estate work include the following:
Ultimately, the best laptop for a real estate agent will depend on their specific needs and work type. It is essential to carefully consider your needs and priorities when choosing a laptop to ensure that you get a device that meets your needs and helps you work effectively.
Hp Stream 2022 Laptop Best Basic Laptop For Seniors
This HP Stream 2022 laptop is yet another Hewlett and Packard product on the list. We are big fans of these notebooks. And this product is more of the same quality, affordable, and practical. If you are buying your parents a birthday present, this is the model that makes sense.
This product has an average-sized 14 diagonal HD BrightView display that is more than enough for your online streaming needs. And the powerful Intel UHD graphics card can handle any 4K content or 720p games. This is all powered by the impressive dual-core Intel Celeron processor.
Dont sacrifice quality and power for price
When you think about the affordable price in conjunction with these specs, you are getting a fantastic deal. You dont need to sacrifice power or quality just because the price is so affordable. Thats what makes HP laptop products so desirable. However, one of the main drawbacks of this product is the low 4GB RAM, but thats not so important for seniors.
What is important is the price. And this is certainly the right price, especially if you are buying the laptop as a present. This model represents decent value for the low specs and is one of the best laptops for seniors.
Our rating:
- Smaller 14-inch display screen.
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Best Budget Option: Acer Aspire 5 With Ryzen
There are many compelling budget laptops out there, but the Acer Aspire 5 series are among the most compelling. The lineup can be confusing because laptops of the same name will have wildly different configurations, but we recommend the latest 2021 model with an AMD Ryzen 3 3200U processor. At $500, it has everything you need for a laptop, and its display is clear and bright.
The physical hard drive will make boot times notably slower, but that may not be a massive deal to some users, and it can always be upgraded to a solid-state drive later. The keyboard is also decent, but the real story is the robust I/O. Its a thin and light laptop, but it also comes packed with two USB 2.0 ports, a USB 3.1 port, an HDMI port, and even an Ethernet jack. Its great for users who have a lot of older accessories and peripherals and dont want to use a dongle.
For $500, its one of the best laptop experiences you can get, and its perfect for seniors.
Best For Iphone Users: Ipad Air
We’ve made the point earlier that familiarity is a key reason to choose one laptop over another, especially if you’re buying for a senior user who might have trouble adapting to a whole new software experience. For that reason, or next laptop isn’t a typical laptop at all. If you’re someone who uses an iPhone already, the iPad Air is going to give you a very familiar experience, and thanks to keyboard accessories, you can make it more of a laptop, too.
The latest iteration of the iPad Air is powered by the Apple M1 chip, which we’ve seen power all kinds of devices from the 2020 MacBook Air to the 24-inch iMac. This is a very powerful chip with eight cores , and putting it in a device this small makes for one of the fastest tablets on the market, if not the fastest right now. It also has a very capable GPU, so if you fancy playing some games, they’ll run tremendously well here. The processor also includes 8GB of RAM and you can choose either 64GB or 256GB of storage, though the former is admittedly not very much.
The iPad Air also has a great display, though it’s once again a little small, at 10.9 inches diagonally. It’s very sharp, though, at 2360 x 1640 resolution, so it’s going to look great for something of this size. Plus, it’s pretty bright with up to 500 nits of brightness, and it supports the P3 wide color gamut. Of course, being a tablet means it supports touch, as well as the second-generation Apple Pencil.
Apple iPad Air
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What Else We Considered
Here are the laptops that were considered for this guide, but didn’t make the cut. Still, they’re worth considering if they fulfill a specific criteria within your shopping needs that hasn’t been met by the other laptops on this list.
MacBook Pro : Apple revised the entire MacBook Pro line to use its own Apple M1 silicon. The 14-inch and 16-inch models have faster M1 Pro or Max processors with additional processor and graphics cores as well as a Mini-LED display. They’re all great, but the affordable and portable MacBook Air is more practical for most shoppers.
Microsoft Surface Pro 8 : The Surface Pro line of 2-in-1 Windows tablets has always been a leader in design for the category. Microsoft’s new Surface Pro 8 makes several much-needed updates including new Intel processors and a thinner, more attractive chassis. It remains a niche 2-in-1, however, due to its small display and high pricing.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 : We loved Microsoft’s AMD-powered Surface Laptop 4 for its long battery life and fresh design. The updated model comes with the option for AMD’s newer 4000 series processors or Intel’s 11th-generation processors. It performs well and looks great. However, its performance doesn’t stand out and it fails to deliver its claimed battery life performance of up to 19 hours. Eight to 10 hours is more realistic.
What Laptops Should Real Estate Agents Avoid
Gaming or entertainment laptops are not the best laptops for real estate agents. They tend to be heavy, bulky, and with low battery life. While they may be great for a gaming system, a lot of power is taken up by a heavy-duty video card that you will not need. At the other end of the spectrum, lightweight Chromebooks or Netbooks usually arent going to have either the processing power or memory that a real estate agent wants and theyre going to require an always-on WiFi signal, which isnt always realistic, especially when dealing with rural listings. That said, some Chromebooks make excellent secondary devices, especially for those who already have a desktop at home.
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What Are The Best Features For A Laptop Aimed At Seniors
We would recommend an easy-to-use OS and a fast processor speed for most seniors, as this might be a source of confusion and frustration if these things start to malfunction or slow down.
The keyboard and screen resolution is very important to a senior that suffers from sight impairment and muscular, bone and tendon conditions.
Microsoft Surface Go 3
The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is actually not a laptop, but you can call it a hybrid computing machine, working as a tablet and laptop. The tablet comes with magnets that can attach a keyboard and other necessary accessories to convert it into a working laptop. Speaking of its specifications, the device is powered by the 10th generation Intel Core i3-10100Y chipset, which is a dual-core chip with 4 threads. The chipset generates a 1.30GHz base clock speed with overclocked capability up to 3.90GHz using Intels Turbo Boost Technology. However, it belongs to the last generation Intel lineup but works very well for the casual workload.
On top of that, the chipset is backed by an integrated Intel UHD Graphics 615 to take care of graphics performance. The key highlight of this machine stands on the front side, which is a 10.5-inch Full HD display at 1920 x 1080p resolution. There are some thick bezels around the corner, making it a durable construction. The display quality is excellent, and it produces sharp visuals and good viewing angles, having good color calibration. Moreover, the laptop enjoys the latest Windows 11 operating system. But due to the S Mode, there are several restrictions applied. It could be better if Microsoft supplied a full-fledged version.
Pros
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What Are Your Physical Capabilities
Even seniors who are well-versed in technology may find that their devices become more difficult to use as their physical needs change. That’s why, for example, a larger screen and a keyboard with large-print keys can be useful for older adults with vision limitations. Some seniors find a touchscreen easier to work with, but those with hand tremors or joint issues may prefer the more precise control offered by a mouse. Portable devices work better for adults who have difficulties sitting at a desk, but tablets may not be a good option for those who struggle to hold a device in their hands. Be sure to take any physical limitations into consideration.
Which Is The Best Laptop For Older Adults
Weve covered the best laptops for elderly people on this list. Nonetheless, your best option depends on your specific wants and needs.
If you love the sound of a 2-in-1, the HP Spectre x360 is your best bet. Or, if youd rather have a bigger screen and dont mind the extra bulk, give the HP ENVY 17 a go.
Make a shortlist of your top priorities and browse our suggestions to find the right fit.
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Asus Introduces E210 E410 And E510 Budget Laptops With Light
The new Asus E210 laptop is a 2.3 pound notebook with an 11.6 inch display, an Intel Pentium Silver N5000 processor, and support for up to 8GB of DDR4-2400 memory and up to 512GB of storage.
Its the smallest of three new budget laptops unveiled by Asus recently, but even the larger models are designed to be thin, light, and versatile devices the 14 inch Asus E410 notebook weighs just 2.9 pounds, while the 15.6 inch Asus E510 is a 3 pound laptop .
It looks like Asus will offer models with 4GB or 8GB of RAM and a choice of 64GB/128GB of eMMC storage or up to a 512GB PCIe Gen3 x2 SSD.
Both the E210 and E410 feature support for WiFi 5 and have ports that include:
- 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C
- 1 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
- 1 x USB 2.0 Type-A
But the screen size isnt the only difference between these laptops.
The 11.6 inch Asus E210 has a 38 Wh battery, a body that measures 11 x 7.5 x x 0.7 and its only available with a 1366 x 768 pixel display.
The 14 inch Asus E410 has a 42 Wh battery, a body that measures 12.8 x 8.5 x 0.7 and is available with up to a 1920 x 1080 pixel display. This model also supports an optional backlit keyboard.
Details for the 15.6 inch Asus E510 should be available closer to launch.
According to the press release, all of the laptops should have 180-degree hinges, a 6-inch Asus NumberPads , and three color/design options: Peacock Blue, Dreamy White, and Rose Gold.
Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 Best Budget Laptop For Seniors
This Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 is a budget laptop you can trust to perform to high levels. And this is amazing when you realize this is easily one of the best cheap laptops on the market. You wont find many other products with these specs for these prices. You might have to shake your head to ensure you are not seeing things. Its the ideal present for your parents.
Because the price is so affordable, you will have to sacrifice a few things. The 13-inch FHD touchscreen display is quite small when compared to other similar-priced laptops. However, there is a method to the madness. Its an extremely light and slim laptop, so a smaller screen size is expected. But the touchscreen function is a nice feature for older users.
Portable, powerful, and picturesque
It might be a compact laptop, but it still has a powerful performance range. The 10th Generation Intel Core i3 CPU takes this laptop to the next level. And the integrated Intel graphics card is more than capable enough for the needs of standard users. Its not streamlined for professional gamers, thats for sure. But it is amazingly affordable.
When you want to buy one of the cheapest laptops around but still need performance and reliability, this is the model. It might be cheap in price, but not in terms of quality. This is a great laptop deal that is pretty much unbeatable for value.
Our rating:
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Which Is Better Macos Or Windows
For the money, though, you’re getting great hardware top to bottom, inside and out. Apple recently moved to using its own processors, which resulted in across-the-board performance improvements compared to older Intel-based models. But, the company’s most powerful laptop, the 16-inch MacBook Pro, still hasn’t been updated to Apple silicon.
But, again, that great hardware comes at a price. Also, you’re limited to just Apple laptops. With Windows and Chromebooks , you get an amazing variety of devices at a wide range of prices.
Software between the two is plentiful, so unless you need to run something that’s only available on one platform or the other, you should be fine to go with either. Gaming is definitely an advantage for a Windows laptop, though.
MacOS is also considered to be easier and safer to use than Windows, especially for people who want their computers to get out of the way so they can get things done. Over the years, though, Microsoft has done its best to follow suit and, with Windows 11 here, it’s trying to remove any barriers. Also, while Macs might have a reputation for being safer, with the popularity of the iPhone and iPad helping to drive Mac sales, they’ve become bigger targets for malware.